The Travel Foundation and Expedia Group are working together to launch a first-of-its kind capacity-building program for destination marketing and management organisations (DMOs). The pilot will launch over the summer and will include Destination Vancouver – the first DMO to sign on as a participant.
The online training program will equip DMOs with the knowledge and skills to become a hub for climate action and tourism in their communities, create their own climate action plans and support industry partners do the same while applying a sustainability lens to planning and decision-making. The aim is to create ‘climate champions’ who can lead the way and facilitate stakeholder alignment and action within their destination. The program will also offer peer-to-peer learning opportunities for destinations to share knowledge and insights with one another.
The Travel Foundation’s recent report, Envisioning Tourism in 2030 illustrated the need for destinations and tourism businesses to take action on climate change urgently, including identifying new opportunities and building resilience to changes in visitor patterns, potential new restrictions and regulation, and the worsening impacts of climate change.
The course is aligned with the five pillars of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism: measure, decarbonise, regenerate, collaborate and finance and will support DMOs to create a climate action plan, which is a key commitment for Declaration signatories.
The online course will be available to all DMOs by the end of the year through Expedia’s online learning platform.
Read more on Expedia Group’s blog here.